WEBVTT DIANE SAWYER. IT'S BEEN A COLD DECEMBER...ICE IS COVERING MANY WATER WAYS... ICE ANGLERS SAY IT'S BEEN 18 YEARS SINCE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO WALK ONTO LAKE GENEVA BEFORE CHRISTMAS. WEATHER WATCH 12 METEOROLOGIST CHRIS GLONIGER JOINS US... THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO ICE FISH...BUT BAD NEWS FOR EMERGENCY CREWS... EVEN WITH 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS BELOW FREEZING, SOME LOCAL PONDS AND LAKES AREN'T QUITE SAFE ENOUGH TO VENTURE ONTO. LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS WORRY, WHEN PEOPLE SEE ICE THEY'LL HAVE THE ITCH TO FISH. 0:09 TO 0:13 0:26 TO 0:31 0:58 TO 1:04 IT'S ABOUT A 5 MINUTE WALK OUT THERE... BUT ALREADY TWO HUTS ARE SET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF LAKE GENEVA MAKING RESCUERS UNEASY. THIS IS EARLY IN THE SEASON TO BE STANDING ON LAKE GENEVA. THESE ICE ANGLERS I SPOKE WITH THEY SAID THEY NEED A SOLID FOUR INCHES OF ICE TO BE ABLE TO STAND ON THE LAKE. PAST THE HUTS THE ICE IS DANGEROUSLY THIN. EVEN IF A RIVER IS COVERED IN ICE --- IT IS NOT SAFE TO WALK ON BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT EVEN IF A RIVER IS COVERED IN ICE --- IT IS NOT SAFE TO WALK ON BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT UNDERNEATH. JANRUARY IS USUALLY WHEN IT'S SAFE TO VENTURE ONTO OPEN WATER.